Eczema is a terrible condition that can be painful, embarrassing, depressing and in extreme cases very dangerous to the victim. It is estimated that 15 Million Americans suffer from some form of eczema and with such a large number of people out there all looking for a cure the seeds of disinformation are sown. Here is a few of the main myths about eczema and some explanation of their cause.

Myth 1. Eczema is caused by emotional disorders

Many people believe that Eczema is caused by emotional disorders and can be removed by curing such emotional root causes. This is a total fallacy as eczema is a condition of the immune system not a mental one. Eczema sufferers have a condition where the keratinocytes in the skin are less tightly bound together and will be more exposed to external substances which break down the skins protective barriers.

It has been found that excessive stress can cause eczema to flare up even more however which is probably where this myth arises. Keeping calm may not only help reduce the effects of the flare up but will help you mentally deal with the condition of course!

Myth 2. Steroids can remove eczema

Corticosteroids have been used to some success to give relief from eczema but they do not remove it completely. While short term releief can be attained the side effects of steroid treatment can be life threatening in some situations!

Some noted side effects include: Cataracts, Glaucoma, Hypertension, Osteoporosis, and many others.
Using Corticosteroids is an imperfect and dangerous propostion and will not remove your eczema.

Myth 3. Medically "proven" cure all pills

There are many products on the market that promise to remove your eczema quickly. These glib advertisements seem too good to be true, mainly because they ARE too good to be true!. Elidel and Protopic are two such drugs that have been proven to cause cancer in many types of animals during testing as well as causing respiratory problems especially in young children and those with a weak immune system. As eczema is linked to your immune system this should sound warning bells! As with most miracle cures the real miracle is that they are allowed to sell them.

So the question remains, "How to remove eczema?" Is there any long term relief or cure? Most advocates of eczema relief are leaning more to natural remedies that target the root cause of eczema and treat it from the inside and out with many natural remedies and have had much success along with other natural products like Aloe Vera.